- 04:54 PM
- 09/29/23
My picks:
Lions by 6
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:34 PM on September 28, 2023
I'm just now catching up on news of the day and woof, that's a big'un.
Here's a summary via CBS Sports:
Bucks receive: Damian LillardThey note that the Blazers are expected to trade Jrue.
Blazers receive: Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Bucks' 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), swap rights on Bucks' 2028 and 2030 picks
Suns receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:33 PM on September 27, 2023
Revised picks:
Browns by 6
Lions by 4
Packers by 6
Dolphins by 13 (lock)
Chargers by 3
Patriots by 9 (lock)
Bills by 6
Jaguars by 14 (lock)
Ravens by 7
Seahawks by 5
Chiefs by 37 (lock)
Cowboys by 28 (lock)
Raiders by 4
Eagles by 7
Rams by 9
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:58 AM on September 24, 2023
My picks:
49ers by 21 (lock)
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:53 PM on September 21, 2023
Hope you enjoy approximately 4,763 pictures of my dog laying on the couch.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:40 PM on September 17, 2023
I am! Even went out and enjoyed the Forest Park Balloon Glow on Friday night (it's my favorite annual local event). Doing some research work for the Billikens.
And the full meaning behind "Hoosier to Hoser" just sank in...
(Granted, that was the first I've watched the Jays this year, but I hope Vladdy Jr's loss of ability to catch up with the high heat is a short-lived speed bump in his career. It was tough to watch him keep whiffing on them during that series.)
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:10 PM on September 17, 2023
Revised picks:
Packers by 9
Bills by 8
Bengals by 4
Lions by 13 (lock)
Chargers by 7
Buccaneers by 6
Jaguars by 6
Colts by 8
49ers by 11
Giants by 3
Cowboys by 17 (lock)
Broncos by 6
Dolphins by 6
Panthers by 3
Browns by 5
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:35 PM on September 17, 2023
*Pause*
(my neighborhood borders both The Hill [STL's Little Italy, where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up] and Dogtown [STL's traditional Irish neighborhood]. On certain weekends it kinda feels like I live in the parking lot of a 60s American Catholic version of Silver Dollar City.)
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:40 PM on September 14, 2023
My picks:
Eagles by 10 (lock)
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:26 PM on September 14, 2023
Teres major is a fantastic and generally fairly reasonably priced cut of beef if you have access to a proper butcher. This is the first time I can recall hearing it in relation to an injury, though.
May have to run by my local this weekend so I can eat my feelings. I've really enjoyed watching Max's starts.
posted by Ufez Jones at 03:04 PM on September 14, 2023
Took me a second to find one, but here's a full list of all players impacted, which includes pretty much everyone you'd expect, as well as Ben Simmons.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:54 PM on September 13, 2023
*there is a Geezer Exemption (which I'm going to assume is a tribute to the bassist from Black Sabbath and refuse to hear otherwise) for players who are 35 years old on opening night or have career workloads of 34,000 regular-season minutes or 1,000 regular-season/playoff games combined. That list currently includes LeBron, CP3, KD, Harden, Steph Curry, DeRozan, and Mike Conley. Jrue Holiday should join it during the regular season, and Jimmy Butler will at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:47 PM on September 13, 2023
My picks:
Chiefs by 3
Panthers by 6
Bengals by 11
Jaguars by 6
Vikings by 9 (lock)
Titans by 8
49ers by 8
Commanders by 3
Ravens by 14 (lock)
Bears by 5
Raiders by 3
Eagles by 3
Chargers by 6
Seahawks by 8
Cowboys by 4
Bills by 6
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:33 PM on September 07, 2023
For those of us that have only gotten as close to the Motor City as Toronto -- where does Jet's fall in the local estimation? I have a feeling I'm going to wind up ordering a pepperoni + jalapeno* w/ Turbo Crust tonight.
(*SpoFi won't let me add a tilde)
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:13 AM on September 07, 2023
Most everything Deion does has at least a little bit of intrigue, but this should be a fascinating experiment. I wish the Buffaloes were (re)joining the Big 12 this season instead of next so I could keep a closer eye on how it plays out.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:55 PM on August 30, 2023
The FIBA World Cup group round begins today (co-hosted by The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia) with the US Team's first game taking place Saturday morning. All of the Team USA games will air on ESPN2 (with the rest of the games available on ESPN+).
Here's a quick snapshot of their schedule:
- vs. New Zealand, Saturday at 8:40AM ET
- vs. Greece, Monday at 8:40 AM ET (no Giannis, but Thanasis is representing the family)
- vs. Jordan, Wednesday at 4:40 AM ET
Full schedule for the opening rounds here. Full list of current/former NBA players that will be playing (or at least sitting on the bench) here.
I am mostly posting this here for my own quick reference but I hope it helps others too.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:29 AM on August 25, 2023
Former first overall draft pick and 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg has officially retired.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:50 PM on August 24, 2023
That was a dad joke with layers. Well done.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:36 PM on August 01, 2023
And now Jordan Montgomery is Arlington-bound as well.
This is weird. Good weird, but weird.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:05 PM on July 30, 2023
Ack, just noticed the Jackson/Jacobs flub I made in the post. Can't say I've watched a Raiders game in some time.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:12 PM on July 18, 2023
This is both a very good point and made me lol: "This positional devaluation has been brewing since 2011, when the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to essentially delay massive contracts for first-round picks until their fourth, fifth or even sixth year in the league. But by the time running backs have been in the league that long, they are often already declining. When wide receivers, quarterbacks, and defensive ends are turning 26, they're hitting life-altering paydays as they approach their primes. NFL running backs turning 26 get treated like Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriends."
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:10 PM on July 18, 2023
Early in the fifth set - after Alcaraz had closed off a long rally with a beautiful winner - one of the McEnroes said "this match has been everything anyone could have ever hoped", and I think that's putting it mildly. Carlos proved something today, both to himself and the rest of the world. He's gonna be a problem for anyone with designs on tour success over at least the next twelve or so years.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:09 PM on July 16, 2023
I recently got my auto-renew email from them and my subscription resets at the end of this month. I still generally like The Athletic even though they've long since jettisoned most of the writers that I signed up for and are lacking beat writers for a couple of my teams, but I'll have to keep an eye on this in the next couple of weeks and see if I really want to give them another year or not, even at my fairly reasonable .edu rate.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:07 AM on July 10, 2023
I don't recall noticing an uptick this season, but I can't say I've been keeping a keen eye out for it either. If anything, I think the coach's challenge rule has helped reverse many of the most flagrant attempts at (all kinds of) baiting and the proposed expansion to a 2nd challenge if the first is successful is great idea, imo.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:51 PM on July 07, 2023
"I'd rather make churros on PBS with Rick Bayless" - Chuck, hopefully.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:45 AM on July 07, 2023
I like the idea of trying to take on some of the most egregious flopping in the same way they have addressed the excessive Harden-esque foul-baiting. That said, this sure does seem to throw an awful lot of additional game-swaying power in the hands of the officials...right as Pro Sports in the US is being overrun by gambling.
/MavsFanWhoWillNeverForgetDonaghy
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:22 AM on July 06, 2023
And now the Mavericks have landed Grant Williams on a 4-year, $54MM three-team S&T that sends Reggie Bullock to San Antonio (I'll miss you, Winter Soldier).
Overall I really like what Nico has done this Summer. No idea if it'll work, but I can't see much realistic reason for complaint at this point.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:38 PM on July 05, 2023
Among others out: Suzy Kolber (27 years!), Steve Young, Matt Hasselback, NFL draft expert Todd McShay, and Jalen Rose.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:28 PM on June 30, 2023
I've long prayed for a team to take a chance on him to get him out of the booth, but at this point it's been 16 years since he coached (not counting some FIBA stuff). I'm not so much worried about him losing his chops as I am his ability to connect with today's players.
I don't know if he and Stan have any chemistry together, but a Manning Brothers-style alt-feed with the Van Gundys might make for an interesting experiment. I guess ESPN isn't going to take that shot, but maybe Bezos would.
posted by Ufez Jones at 03:46 PM on June 30, 2023
In tribute, let's revisit JVG's on-air ruminations on second cousins.
Meanwhile, NBC (and Amazon?) are expected to be in the mix as the NBA begins new negotiations for TV rights. The NBA on NBC last aired in 2002. The new rights deal would take effect at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:33 AM on June 30, 2023
Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces dropped a dime last night that needs to be on every 2023 highlight reel.
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:01 PM on June 25, 2023
Other than Orlando's quizzical decision to take Jett Howard at 11 (he was projected mid-late 20s on most boards I saw) and Cam Whitmore's sudden slide from potential top-5 to Houston at 20, the first round went more or less how it was supposed to.
I was hoping the Mavs would land Taylor Hendricks at 10 (as were they, according to play-by-play man Mark Followill), but the swaps with OKC and SAC netted them a bonus pick (OMax looks like he could be a really nice piece) and swap out a totally useless bad contract Bertans for a limited-use bad contract Richaun Holmes while also opening up the full MLE which expands their free-agency options some fair bit. Great night for Nico.
Summer League highlights should be fun. I've been texting with my Thunder friend all week and she said that it looks like Chet Holmgren will be cleared to play as well. He's been kind of understandably forgotten in the Wemby/draft hype, but should add to the excitement of this year's rookie class.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:26 PM on June 23, 2023
Pardon the quick personal message to rcade, but: don't know if you've been paying any attention to the little Ticket recently, but Norman Elizabeth Hitzges is officially hanging up his mic tomorrow. I'm not really able to tune in live much these days, but I think he's going to be part of tonight's draft coverage so I'll consider that my farewell.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:27 PM on June 22, 2023
Looks like Boston is orchestrating a three-team trade with the Wizards and Clippers that would result in Kristaps Porzingis joining the Celtics (Malcolm Brogdon to LAC; Danilo & tomorrow night's #30 pick to WAS; some other miscellaneous stuff).
The next 30 hours should be fun.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:53 PM on June 21, 2023
Just a masterclass in pissing away your legacy in the span of a few short weeks. Bravo, sir.
The way the article phrased this part concerns me a bit: Huggins' salary of $4.15 million had been reduced by $1 million after the slur. That reduction was to be used to directly support WVU's LGBTQ+ Center, as well as a mental health center at the university and other groups that support marginalized communities.
I hope the administration continues to honor the commitment.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:32 PM on June 18, 2023
Interesting piece, although I do think one key component is missing. Race horses (of the type we're talking about here) compete between the ages of 2 and 5. The natural lifespan of a domestic horse is 25-30 years. As I've learned over the years, making comparisons between animals and humans can be clunky as hell, but I'm going to do it anyways: in public health one of the statistics used when looking at premature mortality (think childhood disease or street violence) is Years of Potential Life Lost. Viewing these deaths through that lens would, I'd hope, add some extra fuel to the case that the whole industry is pretty nasty.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:39 AM on June 18, 2023
I'm not a Knights fan, per se, but it's pretty easy as a hockey fan in Reno to get swept up in the excitement of our in-state team bringing home the Cup.
Yeah, the Blues' Cup run in 2019 was a little bittersweet (as a Stars fan the round 2 game 7 2OT loss really stung), but it was a fantastic time in the city. My years in Dallas didn't include any local chips (let's not bring up the '06 NBA finals) so it was a whole new experience for me. Glad you're enjoying it and hope you get a pic with Lord Stanley!
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:24 PM on June 14, 2023
The group that included Snoop seemed like it had great potential for bits, but in this current period I guess we should be happy with anyone that isn't Saudi-backed.
I wonder if this will be the last big four franchise bought for under US$1B.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:35 PM on June 13, 2023
It didn't take too long for word to spread that Messi would (likely) be making his Miami debut the week *after* they come to STL, but I kind of get the feeling some ticket resellers took advantage of the confusion to bilk some hopeful rich folks (letthemfight.gif)
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:33 PM on June 13, 2023
Some cryogenically frozen part of him, at least.
Congrats to the Nuggets. Heck of a run and a team that's just an absolute pleasure to watch play the game.
And a big smile for Jeff Green who finally got himself a ring with his 11th team (12th if you separate the Sonics from the Thunder). If that's not a record, it's got to be up there.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:33 AM on June 13, 2023
If we can walk together,
Why can't we hack up a lung together?
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:52 PM on June 08, 2023
St. Louis has somehow been lucky enough to get the Southeast nadir of the Alberta fires and the Southwest edge of the current ones in Ont/Que, so we've been dealing with this at a moderate level off and on for a few weeks. Nothing bad enough to cancel events, but plenty of low-grade headaches and throat/eye irritation. The pics I've seen from friends up East recently have been on a whole different apocalyptic level. Agreed that a double-header tomorrow seems optimistic and I wonder if MLB execs aren't scrambling to form a medium-term contingency plan.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:04 PM on June 07, 2023
Oh yeah, I'll be impressed if he's able to string two starts in a row together at the major league level. In an ideal world (lmao) Texas will have hit on enough of those young arms and have a studded out rotation (can't forget about the prospect of Kershaw returning home) in place and Grommer can work in a hybrid occasional-starter/long-reliever/specialist role. If anyone can navigate that kind of situation successfully, I'd think it'd be Bochy.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:41 PM on June 07, 2023
It's a bummer for sure, but nobody can be surprised. Seems like DeGrom is taking is hardest of anyone, which is understandable given the stage of his career.
To put a positive spin on it, assuming he undergoes a full rehab, the Rangers will have a hell of a mentor for Brock Porter and Cole Winn and Jack Leiter and Owen White and Kumar Rocker (who just underwent his own Tommy Johns a couple of weeks ago) as he works his way back through the system.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:03 PM on June 07, 2023
Gross.
Outside of a few dramatic Sunday afternoons over the years I've never much cared for golf, but this undoubtedly sucks for the players that took the high ground and (at least some percentage of) fans. Club soccer has never been a huge part of my sports fandom, but I was kind of surprisingly bummed the first time I said out loud "well, I used to call myself a Newcastle supporter until...". I hate to see another pin - any pin - fall in this direction.
I was curious about how this might affect the LPGA, but from what I can tell they're an entirely independent organization. I wonder if they might make that a little more clear to try to fend off any perception of guilt by association.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:19 PM on June 06, 2023
My picks:
Heat in 6
Top point scorer: Jimmy Butler
Top rebounder: Jokic
Game 1 winner: Heat
Most points in one game: Nuggets
Series MVP: Jimmy Butler
Top fouler: Bam!
Top three-point shooter: Gabe Vincent
Winning team points last game: 111
This is a weird Finals. I feel like I can talk myself into a Heat Sweep, a Nuggs Sweep, or it coming down to the final shot of Game 7.
That said, I've been picking against the Heat this entire playoffs and fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me --- you can't get fooled again.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:36 PM on June 01, 2023
Oddly enough, I feel like not having to endure JvG's incoherent claptrap ramblings about whatever random topic crosses his mind during game play would significantly increase my enjoyment of the sport.
Give me Hubie every evening and twice on Sundays.
posted by Ufez Jones at 02:39 PM on May 31, 2023
STL City's Eduard Lwen hit a free kick last night that was one of the prettiest shots I've seen a long time.
He also played a key part in the team's second goal but didn't get credited with an assist.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:56 PM on May 28, 2023
Oh, in Kyrie's defense (that's a personal first), there's a whole lot that can happen before Free Agency opens. There may be a team or two that are going to try to move some things around to make room for him, or Joel Embiid may retire to co-host Sewing With Nancy on PBS Create, nobody knows. The NBA is wild.
Plus, I'm kind of resigned to the fact that however things shake out with him is gonna involve some form of Wince & Shrug, so I'm in no hurry either.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:58 PM on May 25, 2023
The first eight or so minutes of that first period were an absolute shitshow, and it didn't get any better from there. Benn not having the guts to face the media and making his coach and players answer for him is an awful look. I'm assuming he'll be suspended for the rest of this series (so...tomorrow night) and I hope the franchise has a long, hard think this Summer about stripping the C off his sweater. That ain't any kind of Captain.
For Athletic subscribers that didn't watch the full game, Saad Yousuf has a quality rundown here.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:28 AM on May 24, 2023
All I know is that I'm starting to worry that my "Celtics in 6/Lakers in 7" picks aren't going to work out.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:51 AM on May 23, 2023
shove them in a mall in Connecticut!
This sounds like the altered, late-nite cable version of a line from a hard-R action flick, a la Lebowski's "Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?"
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:44 PM on May 19, 2023
Not a major surprise, but MLS have officially announced that San Diego will be the 30th team in the league, beginning play in the 2025 season.
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:00 PM on May 18, 2023
I've seen people toss Austin around (apparently it's the most populous city in the US without a major league edit: Big Four team), but who knows.
I was in Phoenix for a conference last November and was kind of hoping to have the opportunity to see a professional hockey game in a tiny ~5k arena, but the Coyotes were on a road trip that weekend.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:20 PM on May 17, 2023
This admittedly makes me bristle a bit as a Mavs fan, but it's a fantastic landing spot for Wemby.
posted by Ufez Jones at 08:41 PM on May 16, 2023
Looking over the list of team representatives at tonight's draft lottery, two things stand out: 1) Nice move by Portland to have Brandon Roy rep them tonight. 2) Kind of questionable move by Houston to throw new head coach Ime Udoka out there, all things considered, but I guess they're just gonna get out in front of it and hope people focus on other things.
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:24 PM on May 16, 2023
Revised picks:
Top defending team: Celtics
posted by Ufez Jones at 04:07 PM on May 16, 2023
My picks:
Lakers in 7
Celtics in 6
Top point scorer: Jaylen Brown
Top rebounder: Jokic
Top scoring team: Lakers
Top defending team: Heat
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:40 AM on May 16, 2023
SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle
I only went to one game there, Summer of '87 or '88. I was about eight years old and don't remember much about it, other than we sat way up in the nosebleeds behind home plate and the folks directly behind us were a middle-aged woman and her two adult sons, all drunk off their asses. We wound up having to leave in the 7th or 8th inning after one of them spilled a full beer right down my (~12 year-old) sister's back.
So that tracks.